One of the most basic duties of our federal government is to protect citizens against the threat of attack from hostile foreign powers. Each year, we spend hundreds of billions to insure that our military forces have the tools they need to keep us safe from foreign invasion or attack so that we can lead out our lives in peace and pursue our happiness.

But in the 21st Century, a new threat to our citizens has arisen from hostile powers abroad. Today, foreign governments are strategically targeting Americans through cyberattacks against email and other electronically stored information systems. These foreign governments do so in order to intimidate and silence perceived enemies, influence debates over policy, and ultimately to achieve political outcomes that benefit them rather than the United States.